Summary
Bar pressing was maintained by food reinforcement of each fiftieth response (FR50 schedule). Rats were tested at 3 levels of food deprivation (60, 80 and 100% of ad libitum body weight) under three drug conditions (0, 0.2 and 0.4 mg of D-amphetamine per rat). Overall response rate was reduced by increasing doses of drug, but not significantly by deprivation, within the range studied. The components of response rate were analysed separately into the starting speed (latency of the first response of each ratio run of 50 responses) and running rate. Drug level affected running rate and first latency of the session, whereas body weight affected only first latency of the session. Only the first latency of the session showed an interaction of drug level and body weight. The lack of interaction raises the question, whether amphetamine is more properly administered as total dose per rat, rather than proportional to body weight.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Beckman, H.: Drugs, their nature, action and use. Philadelphia: Saunders 1958.
Bindra, D., and J. Mendelson: Training, drive level, and drug effects: a temporal analysis of their combined influence on behavior. J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 56, 183–189 (1963).
Brown, H.: Changes in operant behavior observed with different dosage schedules of D-amphetamine. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Maryland 1963.
Clark, F. C., and B. J. Steele: Effects of D-amphetamine on performance under a multiple schedule in the rat. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 9, 157–169 (1966).
Cole, S. O.: Interaction of amphetamine with conditions of food deprivation. Psychol. Rep. 13, 387–390 (1963).
—: Further study of interactive effects of amphetamine and food deprivation. Psychol. Rep. 16, 625–630 (1965).
—: Increased suppression of food intake by amphetamine in rats with anterior hypothalamic lesions. J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 61, 302–305 (1966).
Dawson, W. T.: Relations between age and weight and dosage of drugs. Ann. intern. Med. 13, 1594–1615 (1940).
Dews, P. B.: Studies on behavior. I. Differential sensitivity to pentobarbital of pecking performance in pigeons depending on the schedule of reward. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 113, 393–401 (1955).
—: Studies on behavior. IV. Stimulant actions of methamphetamine. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 122, 137–147 (1958).
Ferster, C. B., and B. F. Skinner: Schedules of reinforcement. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts 1957.
Kornetsky, C., and G. Bain: Morphine: Single-dose tolerance. Science 162, 1011–1012 (1968).
Maickel, R. P., R. H. Cox, D. S. Segal, and F. P. Miller: Studies on psychoactive drugs. I. Physiological disposition and time course of behavioral effects of D-amphetamine in rats. Fed. Proc. 25, 385 (1966).
Mann, W. G.: Effects and interactions of D-amphetamine and food deprivation on a food-reinforced operant in the rat. Unpublished Master's thesis, University of Maryland 1966.
Moskowitz, M. J.: Running-wheel activity in the white rat as a function of combined food and water deprivation. J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 52, 621–625 (1959).
Owen, J. E., Jr.: The influence of DL-, D-, and L-methamphetamine on a fixed ratio schedule. J. exp. Anal. Behav. 3, 293–310 (1960).
Ray, O. S., and L. W. Bivens: Chlorpromazine and amphetamine effects on three operant and on four discrete trial reinforcement schedules. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 10, 32–43 (1966).
Sidman, M., and W. C. Stebbins: Satiation effects under fixed-ratio schedules of reinforcement. J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 47, 114–116 (1954).
Spector, W. S.: Handbook of biological data. Philadalphia: Saunders 1956.
Thompson, T., and C. R. Schuster: Behavioral pharmacology. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall 1968.
Weiss, B., and V. G. Laties: Drug effects on the temporal patterning of behavior. Fed. Proc. 23, 801–807 (1964).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The order of the authors' names was determined alphabetically. This research was supported by U.S. Public Health Service Grant MH-01604 from the National Institute of Mental Health. The preparation of the manuscript, on the part of L. R. Gollub, was supported by U.S.P.H.S Postdoctoral Fellowship 1-F3-MH-33, 004-01 from N.I.M.H. at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, London. The authors gratefully acknowledge the helpful suggestions on the manuscript by Prof. P. B. Dews and J. R. Vane, and the supply of D-amphetamine sulfate (Dexedrine sulfate®) by Smith, Kline and French Laboratories.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gollub, L.R., Mann, W.G. The interaction of amphetamine and body weight on a food-reinforced operant. Psychopharmacologia 15, 64–72 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00410802
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00410802